The distribution of goods from the point of manufacture to the ultimate destination typically involves various common carriers and intermittent storage/mixing facilities. These facilities are where goods are temporarily stored and transloaded for shipment to the next destination of their route. In other instances, goods may be typically packaged at the factory and loaded onto common carriers where the goods are shipped to distribution centers. The goods are off-loaded, temporarily stored, and then at a subsequent point in time, reloaded onto another common carrier for shipping to the final destination. Many goods, particularly if they are imported, typically encounter further instances of storage and transshipment at ports of entry.
It is not usual during the course of shipping and handling for goods to become damaged in some form, such as being dented, dropped or crushed. For many household goods, individual unit packaging or aggregate packaging is designed, in part, to protect the goods against limited damage. Further, in many instances, there are existing procedures in placed defining how the damages goods should be processed. For example, in many instances depending on the terms of shipment, the consignee accepts delivery of the damaged goods, but retains a right to make a claim.
However, many other types of goods are shipped without protective packaging because the nature of the good does not render it practical or economically feasible to package the goods. For example, industrial goods are often affixed to wooden pallets or contained within a wooden crate to facilitate handling, but these structures are not typically designed to protect the goods. Other goods (such as automobiles) are inherently mobile and are shipped without being affixed to any special structures. In some cases, automobiles may receive a protective plastic coating to protect against the vehicle against the elements. Nevertheless, the goods are susceptible to damage.
For some products (such as industrial machines) minor cosmetic damage incurred during transit does not impact the consignee's acceptance of the delivery of the article. However, significant damage may impact the acceptance of the delivery of the article, such as requiring it be returned to the factory or redirected to designated repair location. For other products, such as automobiles, even minor cosmetic damage may render the car unacceptable for delivery to the consumer. Given the ubiquitous nature of automobile repair businesses in conjunction with the cost of shipping automobiles, damaged automobiles are not typically returned to the manufacturer, but are redirected to an automobile repair shop. However, the disposition of the damaged good depends in part on the nature of the damage incurred. Thus, existing default procedures for handing damage to these types of goods cannot cover all the various possibilities in an easily, clearly defined, and efficient manner.
In the instance of a car damages during transit, various entities may be involved in determining the disposition of the good. These entities can include the manufacturer, the operator of a distribution or ‘mixing’ facility, one or more common carriers (e.g., the vehicle transporter that may be in the form of a truck hauler, rail car hauler, or other), an automobile dealer, and the customer (purchaser) of the car. Based on where the damage occurs, the responsible entity, the extent of the damage, as well as other factors, various parties may be involved in determining the disposition of the car.
For example, minor weather damage (e.g., hail damage) to a car during delivery to an automobile dealer may not warrant diversion of the car to an auto body repair shop. However, more significant damage (e.g., a tree branch falling onto an automobile, or the auto transporter involved in an accident) may warrant diversion of the automobile to a repair shop. Further, there may be certain auto body repair businesses that are preferred by the manufacturer, insurance provider, hauler, or dealer. Still further, more serious types of accidents (e.g., fire damage or rollover damage) may warrant diversion of the automobile to a salvage yard. Thus, there are a variety of types of damage that may occur to the good being shipped, a variety of entities that may require notification or input as to where the good should be diverted, if at all, and a variety of parties that require notification of the disposition of the good.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods for facilitating the notification of damage to a good during transit, receiving input from the appropriate party regarding rerouting of the good, and rerouting of the good.